FROM THE SHOBAK MAILING LIST

15 February 2008

Theft of artefacts 100% Made in Bangladesh affair

After months of gnashing our teeth at the evil French authorities, Bangladeshi museum artefacts have indeed been stolen. But it's a 100% Made In Bangladesh affair.

I listened over many a cha cup to endless conspiracy theories about how Musee Guimet, Paris was going to steal our priceless Buddhist icons. But in the end the robbery happened before Air France could take off. From the "heavily guarded" ZIA International Airport tarmac, Dhaka.

The shaken French embassy official I spoke with was (silently) grateful that at least the vanishing was in Bangladesh. Imagine the diplomatic hau-kau if this was not uncovered until the plane landed in Paris. Who do you think we would blame then? Hmm...

The missing crate, Crate # 5, was found the next day, but not the priceless Visnu statues inside. In Bengali, a huge robbery is called "pukur churi" (literally pond theft). As a mordant touch, the crate was found next to a pond.

With the right touch of dramatics, three activists have begun a "fast unto death" at the Dhaka Shaheed Minar demanding the return of the artefacts.